Metal-soled shoe.



VMI

J. HARRINGTON & P. JUTRASH.

METAL SOLED SHOE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE17, 1912.

Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

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Patented Apr. 29, 1918.

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METAL SOLED SHOE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17, 1912. Y

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,\VASHINGTON, D. c.

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MICHAEL J. HARRINGTON AND FRANK J UTBASH, 0F LAURIUIVI, MICHIGAN.

METAL-SOLE!) SHOE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MICHAEL J. HAR- RINGTON and FRANK JUTRASH, citizens of the United States, residing at Laurium, in the county of Houghton and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metal-Soled Shoes; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to boots and shoes, and more especially to the soles thereof although it includes also improvements in other parts of the shoe; and the object of the same is to produce a boot or shoe with a metal sole and heel, an insole of wood or the like, and an upper of leather, canvas or other fleXible material. This and other objects are accomplished by constructing the device in the manner hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as shown in the drawings, wherein- Figure l is a perspective view of this shoe complete; Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section thereof, slightly enlarged; Figs. 3 and 4: are cross sections on the lines 3-3 and it-4c of Fig. 2; Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are perspective details respectively of the outer sole, the key and the heel; and Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional detail showing the connection of the lower edge of the upper with the groove in the inner sole, and the relativelocation of the outer sole and key.

In the device hereinafter called a shoe (although it may be a boot or other foot covering) the upper U may be of leather, canvas, or other flexible material, and no novelty whatever is claimed therefor. We propose to construct the sole and heel of metal, preferably steel, and in order that the metal shall not come in contact with the foot we provide an insole of some rigid material but preferably wood; and the gist of the present invention lies in the construction of these parts so they will work in connection with each other and with an upper of leather or the like.

Coming now to the details of the present invention, the numeral 1 designates the sole proper, whose front portion has transverse corrugations 2 stamped in it at the time it is made and whose heel portion is preferably flat and pierced with holes 3 for a purpose to appear below. The forward portion of this sole is surrounded by an upstanding marginal flange l which is notched at its upper edge to produce tongues 5, and the heel portion of this sole is sur rounded by an upstanding counter 6 pierced with holes 7. Within this counter is preferably disposed a piece of leather 8 wider than the counter 6 above whose upper edges it projects, and this leather may be held in place by rivets 9 passing through the holes 7 and through the leather 8. The front or toe-portion of the sole is deflected and rounded so as to give it the usual foot-form for the comfort of the wearer.

The insole 10 is preferably cut from a single piece of wood, although it may be of other rigid material but not of metal, and across its upper face between its toeand heel-portions is a ridge 11 for supporting the instep of the foot and giving ease to the wearer. The contour of this insole is such that it will fit upon the main sole 1 and within its flange 4 and counter 6, and around the forward portion of the insole it is rabbeted as at 12 so that in the finished article the upper notched edge of the flange 4 where the tongues 5 occur may be turned over upon the upper U, after the latter is laid within said rabbet and stitched therein as at S, the stitches passing through holes in the insole 10 in the ordinary manner. The rear portion of the upper U may be fastened around the heel-portion of the insole by any suitable means such as tacks T, and the upper at this part stitched within the leather sheet 8 which protects it from wear against the metal counter 6.

A key is preferably employed in connection with the devices above described, although in some cases it might be possible to omit it. This is best shown in Fig. 6 and consists of a strip of L-shaped metal 20 whose lower leaf or flat portion lies upon the outstanding edge of the upper after the latter has been laid within the rabbet of the insole, and is given a number of fine punches 21 so as to produce downwardly projecting points which embed the edge of the upper; while the upstanding leaf of this L-shaped key rests around the inner upright wall of the rabbet and against the upper U. The key isclamped under the inturned tongues 5 of the flanget of the sole 1 when said tongues are bent over, and therefore the key serves as a washer member interposed between said tongues and the upper to prevent the wear of the former on the latter, while the upstanding inner flange of the key protects the body of the upper from wear on the tips of said tongues. If the sheet metal of which the sole is made has sufficient strength and rigidity, the inturning of the tongues 5 upon this key will be sufficient to hold all parts in place without the necessity for further fastening means, and thereby is produced a wide projecting sole extending in all directions radially from the foot-portion of the shoe so as to protect the foot of the wearer and the material of the upper against accidents and bruises.

The heel of this improved shoe comprises a metallic plate 30 having an upstanding flange 31 around its sides and rear end, and an inturned shoulder 32 within said flange at about the center of the height of the latter, a filling 33 as of wood located therein beneath said shoulder, and screws 34 passing upward through the metal and wooden portions, through the heel-portion of the sole which is pierced with holes 3 for that purpose, and taking into the bottom of the heel-portion of the insole. When this heel is assembled in connection with the other parts, the upper edge of the flange protect-s and'covers the lower edge of the counter 6 around which it fits closely, and the leather 8 between the counter and the upper protects the latter from injury by the counter all these parts protecting the wearers heel from injury or accident. The screws hold the heel against the sole and the latter against the insole, and as long as the sole and insole can not become separated their forward portions where the tongues 5 overlie the rabbet of the insole are held together.

All parts are obviously made to proper size and shape to fit wearers having feet of various kinds, and we have stated herein our preferred materials although we do not wish to be limited thereto. The sole is entirely water-proof. The insole if made of wood or suitable and similar material and provided with a ridge 11, will adapt itself to the shape of the foot, or rather the foot will adapt itself to the shape of the insole and its ridge, and great ease to the wearer will result. He can with comfort and without fatigue walk a greater distance and stand a longer period of time and lift heavier weights than if the shoe were made of leather or of a flexible material through out, because as the shoe flexes under strain the foot must yield with it but with a rigid sole and insole as herein provided the foot sole having around its front portion an initially upstanding flange notched so as to produce teeth adapted to be bent over onto the upper within said rabbet.

2. In a shoe, the combination with a flexible upper, of a rigid insole having a rabbet around its front portion in which the lower edge of the upper is laid, and a metal outer sole having around its front portion an initially upstanding flange adapted to be bent over onto the upper within said rabbet; of a heel comprising a metallic shell adapted to surround the rear portion of the metal sole, a wooden filling within the shell below said sole, and screws passing upward through the shell, filling and sole and into the insole.

3. In a shoe, the combination with a flexible upper, a rigid insole over whose edge the lower edge of the upper is laid, and a metal outer sole having around its front portion a flange adapted to be bent over onto the edge of the upper; of a heel comprising a flat metal plate, an upstanding flange around its two sides and rear end, an inwardly projecting shoulder at about the center of the height of said flange adapted to underlie the metal sole, a wooden filling within said flange and beneath said shoulder, and fastening means passing upward through all parts and into the insole.

4. In a shoe of the class described, the combination with a metal sole having an upstanding flange around its front portion, a rigid insole having a rabbet around its front portion, and a flexible upper whose lower edge is laid in said rabbet; of a key of metal which lies around the body of the upper and upon its edge within said rabbet, said flange being bent over onto this leaf of the key, for the purpose set forth.v

5. In a shoe of the class described, the combination with a metal sole having an upstanding flange around its front portion provided with notches to produce teeth, a wooden insole having a rabbet around its front portion, and a flexible upper whose lower edge is laid in said rabbet; of a key of L-shaped cross section whose upstanding leaf lies around the body of the upper and whose lower leaf lies upon the edge of the upper within said rabbet, said tongues being bent over onto this leaf of the key, for the purpose set forth.

6. In a shoe of the class described, the combination with a flexible upper, a wooden insole, a metal sole, and means for connecting the parts around the front portion of the sole; of a metal counter rising from the set our hands in presence of tWo subscribing edge of the metal sole around the rear por- Witnesses.

tion thereof, a leather sheet secured Within MICHAEL J. HARRINGTON. said counter and out-side of the heel por- FRANK JUTRASH. 5 tion of the upper, and means for connecting Witnesses:

these parts. JOHN R. RYAN,

In testimony whereof We have hereunto FRANCIS L. HARRINGTON.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

